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LONDON — A historian says Benito Mussolini was well paid as a British agent during World War I.

The Guardian newspaper reported Wednesday that Peter Martland of Cambridge University discovered that Mussolini was paid 100 pounds a week by Britain in 1917 — equal to about 6,000 pounds ($9,600) today.

The late Samuel Hoare, in charge of British agents in Rome at that time, revealed in his memoirs 55 years go that Mussolini was a paid agent. Martland found more details in Hoare's papers, including that Mussolini also sent Italian army veterans to beat up peace protesters in Milan, a dry run for his fascist blackshirt units.

"The last thing Britain wanted were pro-peace strikes bringing the factories in Milan to a halt. It was a lot of money to pay a man who was a journalist at the time, but compared to the 4 million pounds Britain was spending on the war every day, it was petty cash," The Guardian quoted Martland as saying.

The salary detail also was in historian Christopher Andrew's newly published history of the British intelligence agency MI5, to which Martland contributed.

In 1917, the future Italian dictator was editor of the Il Popolo d'Italia newspaper, which campaigned to keep Italy on the allied side in the war.

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But imagine if the British were unsuccessful at coaxing Italy into expressions of irredentism. Imagine if Italy had actually gone to war in 1914-15 on the side of the Central Powers.

Forrester

Oct 25 2009, 04:10 AM

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But imagine if the British were unsuccessful at coaxing Italy into expressions of irredentism. Imagine if Italy had actually gone to war in 1914-15 on the side of the Central Powers.

I'm not seeing the negative.

PortuguesePoster

Nov 4 2009, 09:46 AM

As a journalist Mussolini was heavily engaged in pro-war and pro-Entente propaganda during this period so it is natural that he received funds from the British government. Reading a book about espionage activity in Portugal during the Second World War it stated that certain Italian agents were in contact with British diplomats regarding a possible "change over" to the allied side since they blamed Mussolini for the disgraceful military campaigns. In 1943 the King plotting with certain high monarchist and aristocratic fascist officials in Rome got rid of Mussolini, a man of "low birth" who they never really respected, and Italy left the Axis. Mussolini then re-styled himself as a left-wing fascist and founded the RSI, in practice a German pupet state.

El Caudillo

Nov 5 2009, 11:26 AM

PortuguesePoster

Nov 4 2009, 09:46 AM

As a journalist Mussolini was heavily engaged in pro-war and pro-Entente propaganda during this period so it is natural that he received funds from the British government. Reading a book about espionage activity in Portugal during the Second World War it stated that certain Italian agents were in contact with British diplomats regarding a possible "change over" to the allied side since they blamed Mussolini for the disgraceful military campaigns. In 1943 the King plotting with certain high monarchist and aristocratic fascist officials in Rome got rid of Mussolini, a man of "low birth" who they never really respected, and Italy left the Axis. Mussolini then re-styled himself as a left-wing fascist and founded the RSI, in practice a German pupet state.

Yes and one recalls his gruesome, disgraceful end as well.

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Death

Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were stopped by communist partisans Valerio and Bellini and identified by the Political Commissar of the partisans' 52nd Garibaldi Brigade, Urbano Lazzaro, on 27 April 1945, near the village of Dongo (Lake Como), as they headed for Switzerland to board a plane to escape to Spain. During this time Claretta's brother even posed as a Spanish consul[74][page needed] Mussolini had been traveling with retreating German forces and was apprehended while attempting to escape recognition by wearing a German military uniform. After several unsuccessful attempts to take them to Como they were brought to Mezzegra. They spent their last night in the house of the De Maria family.

The next day, Mussolini and his mistress were both summarily executed, along with most of the members of their 15-man train, primarily ministers and officials of the Italian Social Republic. The shootings took place in the small village of Giulino di Mezzegra. According to the official version of events, the shootings were conducted by "Colonel Valerio" (Colonnello Valerio). Valerio's real name was Walter Audisio. Audisio was the communist partisan commander who was reportedly given the order to kill Mussolini by the National Liberation Committee. When Audisio entered the room where Mussolini and the other fascists were being held, he reportedly announced: "I have come to rescue you!... Do you have any weapons?" He then had them loaded into transports and driven a short distance. Audisio ordered "get down"; Petacci hugged Mussolini and refused to move away from him when they were taken to an empty space. Shots were fired and Petacci fell down. Just then Mussolini opened his jacket and screamed "Shoot me in the chest!". Audisio shot him in the chest. Mussolini fell down but he did not die; he was breathing heavily. Audisio went near and he shot one more bullet in his chest. Mussolini's face looked as if he had significant pain. Audisio said to his driver "Look at his face, the emotions on his face don't suit him". The other members were also lined up before a firing squad later the same night.[75]

Mussolini's body
On 29 April 1945, the bodies of Mussolini, Petacci, and the other executed Fascists were loaded into a moving van and trucked south to Milan. There, at 3 a.m., they were dumped on the ground in the old Piazza Loreto. The piazza had been renamed "Piazza Quindici Martiri" in honor of 15 anti-Fascists recently executed there.[76]

After being shot, kicked, and spat upon, the bodies were hung upside down on meathooks from the roof of a gas station. The bodies were then stoned by civilians from below. This was done both to discourage any Fascists from continuing the fight and as an act of revenge for the hanging of many partisans in the same place by Axis authorities. The corpse of the deposed leader became subject to ridicule and abuse.

Fascist loyalist Achille Starace was captured and sentenced to death and then taken to the Piazzale Loreto and shown the body of Mussolini. Starace, who once said of Mussolini "He is a God",[77] saluted what was left of his leader just before he was shot. The body of Starace was subsequently strung up next to the body of Mussolini.